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Overview

The Department of the Environment, Heritage Local Government is responsible for the various legislative codes dealing with the registration of electors and the conduct of elections and referendums. This involves an ongoing review of electoral law, review of constituencies and local electoral areas, the provision of information and advice to registration authorities, returning officers and the general public together with the publication of election results.

Please note that the information leaflets available in PDF format at the right-hand side of the screen under Publications and Documents are intended as a practical guide and are not a definitive interpretation of electoral law. They set out the law as at September 2006. Any legislative changes made after that date will be notified on this website under 'Updates' and under 'Legislation' on the left hand side of the screen. For more detailed information you should consult the relevant constitutional and legislative provisions relating to electoral law, available at http://www.oireachtas.ie/.  



Register of Electors

In order to be able to vote at an election or referendum, a person's name must be entered on the register of electors for the locality in which the elector ordinarily resides. Registration authorities (county and city councils) are required by law to prepare and publish a register of electors every year. The register comes into force on 15th February and is used at each election and referendum held in the succeeding 12 months.

Further information is available in the related document on the right hand side of your screen (available in a number of languages) or on the citizens information website. 



Check Online Register of Electors
City and County Councils now allow you to check if you're registered to vote through the online eReg service - http://www.checktheregister.ie/


Information for Voters with Disabilities
There are a variety of special arrangements in place to assist those with certain disabilities to exercise their right to vote. These include:

  • voting at an alternative polling station if the local station is inaccessible
  • postal voting
  • assistance in voting at the polling station by a companion or the presiding officer
  • vote at a hospital, nursing home or similar institution if you reside there and cannot go to polling station

Further information is available in the related document on the right hand side of your screen or on the citizens information website. 

 

Ireland's PR-STV Electoral System

Voting at Presidential, Dáil, Seanad, European and local elections is by secret ballot on the principle of proportional representation in multi seat constituencies (Ireland is a single constituency at a Presidentail election), each voter having a single transferable vote. Further information is available in the related document in the right hand side of your screen.



Contact Details:

Franchise Section,
Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government,
Room 1.67
Custom House
Dublin 1.

Telephone: 353 1 8882424
Locall:       1890202021
(Note that the rates charged for the use of 1890(LoCall) numbers may vary among different service providers)
Fax:           353 1 8882690

e-mail franchise@environ.ie

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Publications & Documents

News and Speeches

Legislation